Bible Study and Discussion

Monthly Archives: November 2017

What a great God described here. John writes about the trial of Jesus by Pilate. He continued with the description of the crucifixion nd his burial. He is scoured by the soldiers and beaten with lead pipes and with other instruments. Someone was probably nearly dead by the time they were put on the cross. We however have the timing all wrong because this was before the Sabbath. This version doesn’t really discuss the other people who were crucified with him. This was a very cruel day. The Jews sacrificed as many as 100,000 lambs at the Passover and this is the time that Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, was killed or sacrificed. When did Joseph die? Psalm 22:18 is the reference for what happened during the crucifixion like the soldiers gambling for his cloak. A footnote to Matthew 26:14 says it was Christ’s destiny which is from the Aramaic. The Jews succession is thru the mother and Rabbi Portman said this happened in the first century ad because you could tell the mother but not necessarily the mother. Pilate wrote the inscription the king of the Jews which is represented bi the letters. INRI. The Jews wanted him to write Jesus says he is king of the Jews, Pilate responded what is written is written.

The psalm is all weeping and gnashing of teeth. The evil have overcome us. John described the temple rock mosque in Jerusalem. Then the wailing wall below. The mosque commemorates where Mohammad rose to heaven. The church of nations is at Gethsemane. This is the story of Jesus’s betrayal by Judas. Al says the swords were utility swords to ward off vermin. What about the duality of Peter’s role in all this is weird. He bravely tried to oppose the soldiers but then denied Jesus later and then his confession became the rock on which Jesus built his church. John said there were probably 600 Roman soldiers, so they were expecting Jesus to have many supporters. John has 7 “I ams” in his gospel. Pilate says this is not a political uprising, but a spiritual event. In that case Pilate would have no jurisdiction. In the ESV Barabbas was a robber, but in other versions, contemporary English version, he was a terrorist. The zealots were a group trying exert their goal of having one god and objected to roman rule and the roman rule that ceasar was god. What if Jesus had raised an army would the story be different. But jesus wasn’t about force and violence. Jesus ministry from the beginning was a peaceful one.

We had a good discussion of the psalm in the give praise in the night. Priests would be awake on call through the night and prayed as well.

John is all about unity and relationships. This lis the high priestly prayer. Why does the world hate followers of Jesus, because the world is for number 1 while Jesus is for all including the poor, the sick, those who are out of favor. The trinity is in all of us. Note Jesus says, this is eternal life that they know you the only true God and Jesus whom you have sent. The word God means the word of the breast. A caring mothering presence. We need others in our quest for God to apply the wisdom of all to understand this concept of God. At worship we come together as one and then go out as an individual to witness to the mission of Christ. God said to Moses that “I’m who I am and God is called Yahweh. The Jews think of this as a sacred reference to God. There is a difference between the Greek approach , that if reason as opposed to a mystical representation of Jesus. We like the image of Jesus as God. It doesn’t threaten us as the Old Testament prophets did. What purpose does mystery serve in our religion?

John M. agreed to lead us. All asked why don’t celebrate the helper or advocate (the Holy Spirit), the Holy spirit is an abiding presence in us as a representative of Jesus. Jesus makes us think it is a big deal of sending the helper to us. If the Holy spirit is in us we are equipped to carry on for Jesus. The holy spirit comes to us through the scriptures. So is this a continuum leading from God through Jesus sent by god to us and then on to the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus to us. So then wrap them up into one God. Is the Holy Spirit more of a verb than a noun. Don’t you know of the Holy Spirit by the fruits of your labors with Christ. The gifts of the spirit are all around us. This is one of the mysteries of life. Can we look back in our lives and see the spirits work in our life? What do people who haven’t known Jesus do good things. John M. Says God is present in all of us no matter if we have known Jesus or not. We practiced